On Tuesday, January 9, the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education meeting welcomed Margie Sherratt, who was sworn in after being appointed to complete the term of former Trustee Megan Sweet. Sweet resigned in October 2023. Sherratt has worked as an AUSD teacher, counselor, and principal. She served on the Board of Education from 2010 to 2014. She currently serves on the Alameda Education Foundation board.
The agenda for the meeting included the District’s Audit report; the Measure I and B Bond Audit Report; Superintendent’s Report on Budget Priorities, Challenges, and Constraints for 2024 and Beyond; and Approval of 2024 Board Committee Assignments. The consent calendar included 361 pages of updated policies that were made to conform to California Assembly Bill 1078 passed in September 2023.
The most critical item on the agenda was the report from Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi on the reduction in future-years school funding from the State of California. The Legislative Analyst’s Report issued on December 7 indicated that the State of California is facing a $68 billion deficit in the $300 billion budget. Approximately 40% of the state budget was allotted for kindergarten to 12th grade education, so cuts to the school district funding are expected. The governor’s budget for 2024-2025 is expected to be issued this month, which will further clarify the effect on schools.
Superintendent Scuderi also spoke about the effect of the loss of revenue if Measure E, which is on the March 5, 2024 ballot, is not passed. The new measure is designed to combine, replace, and renew Measures B1 and A.
The District’s audit report and Measure I and B Bond report were presented by the auditors who found the District’s financials to be in compliance with financial and regulatory requirements. The board gave kudos to Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Shariq Khan for the herculean task of preparing the District’s financial reporting.
The policy changes included in the consent calendar conform to a statute signed and advocated for by Governor Gavin Newson and passed by the California legislature, enabling the state to override school boards that censor books denigrating LGBTQ+ students and other minority groups. The statute, Assembly Bill 1078, enables parents and others to file a complaint with the state superintendent of public instruction if the removal of a book or instructional material violates the state FAIR Education ACT. The ACT, passed in 2011, requires instructional materials to accurately portray the history, viewpoints, and experiences of California’s diverse and underrepresented racial, ethnic, and other groups including LGBTQ+ Californians.
Board of Education agendas and minutes can be found on the AUSD website. Their next meeting will be held January 23.
Joyce Boyd is a Certified Public Accountant, Alameda resident, and parent of an AUSD student. She is on the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee. Boyd is a PTA board member, a prior PTA Council board member, and school site council member. Reach her at [email protected].
